Memorial

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2nd Lt Earl R. Downey Jr. was a chemist. he enlisted at Fort McClellan, Alabama, on 27 February 1943.

The aircraft was apparently hit directly by a shell which did not burst on contact. About 8 or 9 feet of the right wing was cut off. There was a flash where the flak hit but no fire visible thereafter. After being hit, the aircraft peeled to the right, turned over on its back and went down out of control. It was in a sort of spin. It appeared to break apart at the wings, the fuselage separating from the wings. When it was last seen, the wings were still in a sort of spin. The aircraft was not seen to catch on fire.

One parachute was reported coming from the aircraft, but what part of the aircraft it came from was not reported.

Three crew members survived and were taken prisoner, six were killed.

The bodies of the deceased crew members were disinterred from a common grave near Ladbergen, Germany. All identification and personal effects were removed by personnel of the German army and sent to Frankfurt-am-Main.

The remains of Lt Downey were evacuated to Margraten and initially buried there as Unknown X-907. After positive identification, he was buried again in a temporary grave on 17 May 1946. After being disinterred on 6 August 1948, he was given his final resting place on 12 May 1949.

According to Sgt Klimoski, who was one of the surviving crew members, Lt Downey probably couldn't get out of the aircraft because of the centrifugal force or because of injuries.